Nightmare On Domain Street

The stories you are about to read are true. Only the names have been changed…. to Nightmare On Domain Street. One dark and stormy night, a prospect called me about a new website. During that conversation, the prospect stated that his domain name was in “Deletion” mode, and that he’d been informed that it could take up to six months for the name to become available for repurchase. The prospect’s webmaster, who was the registrant on the domain name, had mysteriously “disappeared” (not an unusual occurrence in Web World). This disappearance had caused a great road block for this business owner to simply renew the domain name and get on with his business.

How Common Are These Nightmare Scenarios?

Sadly, I suspect this is happening very frequently, and will happen even more often as we move to what I call the second phase of the Internet — and web development and management — when many “so called” webmasters retire or recognize they don’t have the skill sets for this industry.

A Web of Problems

Usually, the domain is in jeopardy of being lost (and may have to be bought back for hundreds or even thousands of dollars), or — even worse — if the domain name was snatched up by a competing business, it can be kept away from you and potential web traffic. In my opinion, domain name management is one of the least understood aspects of owning a website.

But We Paid Our Webmaster — We’re Set, Right?

You can register a domain name for one year or for multiple years, and so long as you maintain payment, you really should not encounter problems. Sounds simple — but problems arise when you didn’t actually register your domain name yourself, and your webmaster used his own information instead of yours.

A Disappearing Act

Imagine: “Web Dude” put his name as the registrant, used a now-defunct email address and old phone number, and secured it all with his personal credit card. Now “Web Dude” has moved to Santa Monica to sell seashells — and your domain is slipping away.

Major Problems Ahead

At this point, the website and domain owner is in a “spot of bother.” Without access to registration accounts, the owner may find themselves locked out, dealing with registrar support at best — or watching helplessly as the domain disappears.

Understanding Key Domain Terms

Good question. Here’s some clarification:

ICANN: The Overseer

ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names & Numbers) is the world-wide governing body for domain names. However, it’s not easily accessible for resolving small disputes.

Registrars: The Gatekeepers

Registrars are companies like Network Solutions, GoDaddy, and Aplus.NET. They handle domain registrations and operate under strict policies.

Registrants: The True Owners

The registrant is the actual owner of the domain name. This is the critical detail that often causes trouble when mismanaged.

Additional Domain Contacts You Should Know

• Administrative Contact – Handles admin duties for the domain (Web Dude could go here, ideally).
• Technical Contact – Manages the technical side, like pointing the domain to the website.
• Billing Contact – Ensures payment is made to keep the domain active.

Keeping Contact Information Updated

In short, use the most permanent and reliable names, addresses, and emails possible. Always have at least two different, reliable persons listed.

Accounts at Registrars: An Overlooked Detail

When you register a domain, you create an account with a registrar. Every domain name sits inside a registrar’s account. If a webmaster holds the domain inside their account, but you have no access, major issues can occur if they disappear.

The Pain of Losing Access

If your domain name goes into deletion mode, it may take 30 to 60 days for it to be released. At that point, it’s a race — and if someone else buys it, you might never get it back.

Why Domain Name Management Matters

BeareWare’s experience managing over 400 domains for clients has shown us how devastating the loss of a domain can be. Losing your company’s domain name could permanently damage your brand and business.

How Registrars View Responsibility

Registrars are not responsible for your domain if it’s not renewed correctly. They will not call you. If the email on file is wrong and the domain expires, the registrar simply resells the domain to the next customer.

How to Protect Yourself

Ask questions! Know who your registrar is. Request a copy of your domain registration information, including all contact info and renewal dates. Good webmasters will provide this without hesitation.

Once It’s Gone, It Might Be Gone Forever

This is unlike any other aspect of web management. Servers can be rebooted. Ugly websites can be redesigned. But lost domain names are often gone forever.

A (Somewhat Happy) Ending

The website at the beginning of our story was miraculously rescued from Deletion Mode by an anonymous hero in a bear costume (go figure). After hours of paperwork, the storm passed. But not everyone is so lucky.

Take ownership of your domain name today, and you’ll greatly minimize your chances of starring in the next edition of Nightmare On Domain Street.

Cheers Mate,

Peter Beare – Webmaster

Peter Beare is CEO of BeareWare, a Website Design & Development Company located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Since building his first website for a local sports club in 1998 Peter has been a webmaster. Over the last 10 years Peter’s duties with BeareWare have included website planning, design and development, website marketing and sales, as well as database application programming & project management. But when all is said and done, Peter is still a webmaster and this is “Interview with a Webmaster“.